Review: The Nice Guys

Set in 70s LA, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling play, respectively, a thug/fixer-for-hire and a crummy P.I. who reluctantly team up after realising they’re both involved in the same missing person’s case. You see, Crowe has been hired to protect a young woman, whilst Gosling has been hired by the aunt of the young woman who says she’s missing. Complicating the case is the fatal car crash death of another porn star named Misty Mountains, which is somehow connected (For starters, the two girls look a bit similar). They’re not very bright and often find themselves in danger from various thugs and crims, but along with widowed Gosling’s amazingly mature young daughter (Angourie Rice), they follow a trail that leads to a helluva conspiracy involving some powerful members of society. Kim Basinger plays the head of the justice department with a personal stake in the case, Matt Bomer is a creepy assassin, and Keith David plays a hired thug.

I hadn’t heard the best things about this Shane Black detective action/comedy from 2016, but Black and his co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi (a first-timer) have come up with a bit of a winner here. Although the participation of “Predator” co-star (and “Lethal Weapon” screenwriter) Black and 80s action movie uber-producer Joel Silver (“Lethal Weapon”, “Commando”, “Predator”) might lead you to expect an 80s throwback action-comedy blockbuster, what we actually have here is a more coherent “Inherent Vice” (which I also rather liked) mixed with a little “Midnight Run” for good measure. It’s surprisingly fun and disarmingly dopey.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling make for an hilarious pair of frankly terrible protagonists, with darkly amusing hard-boiled narration by both to start us off. Crowe’s character is so lowly that he considers an occupation like a P.I. (Gosling’s profession) to be a step-up from the thug-for-hire gig he currently has. Gosling, meanwhile gets driven around by his thirteen year-old daughter (Aussie actress Angourie Rice from “These Final Hours”), who is the grown up in that relationship for the most part. There’s an hilarious scene early on where Crowe is supposed to beat info out of Gosling, but because wimpy Gosling gives it to him unsolicited, he has to beat him up anyway to complete his job. I also found it especially funny watching the guy from “Drive” crash his car like an idiot. It’s amazing that these two dumb arses can even stumble upon clues when the only smart person in the vicinity is the kid. Every character in the film though, is completely insane not just the leads. I will say though, that Keith David’s talents are wasted in a nothing role, and Kim Basinger is as ever a mediocre actress. Otherwise I had a hoot and a half with this one, not having expected much going in. The soundtrack is killer too, with ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ by The Temptations, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite’ by KISS, and a couple of songs by Earth, Wind, and Fire who also appear (but probably not really them) in an on-screen performance at one point.

Crowe and Gosling are the funniest couple of oddball knuckleheads of the year (I had no idea either guy was capable of being this funny), and this is easily Shane Black’s best work in ages. It’s loopy, disarming and a genuinely pleasant surprise.

Rating: B